Africa is slowly tearing itself apart—and laying the groundwork for a future ocean. Deep beneath the Horn of Africa, powerful tectonic forces are pulling the continent in different directions. In the Afar region, where Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea meet, three major tectonic plates are separating at a rate of up to about 0.3 inches per year. This process is driven by hot magma rising from Earth’s mantle, thinning the crust and creating fractures, faults, and surface bulges. Over time, this rif